Toyo Cut Film Holder New VS Old

[cjbecker]

Is there any difference in between the new ones with blue lettering off to one side and the old ones with the lettering in the center? Is it just a cosmetic change. I'm looking to buy some and just wanting to know the difference.

[Ari]

They seem to be excellent, no matter the vintage; I have both versions.

[Michael Graves]

I think there were actually three versions. Or perhaps I had some that were "modified". Still, I have a couple of Toyo holders that have brushed aluminum dark slides. And I have two different varieties of Toyo holder with plastic dark slides. As Ari says, quality is good across the board.

[ndrs]

Newer ones stink. I have three, aquired from different sources, and they all emit a strong, unpleasant smell. Nonetheless they are my favourites.

[cjbecker]

Newer ones stink. I have three, aquired from different sources, and they all emit a strong, unpleasant smell. Nonetheless they are my favourites.


Do you mean you like the newest generation or you just like toyo holders in general.

[Michael Graves]

Newer ones stink. I have three, aquired from different sources, and they all emit a strong, unpleasant smell. Nonetheless they are my favourites.

I keep hearing about this "stink" on the new holders. Back when Freestyle had a special going on them, I picked up a dozen. Not one package had any unusual smell. Did I just get lucky or do I have particularly poor sense of smell?

[Sal Santamaura]

Newer ones stink. I have three, aquired from different sources, and they all emit a strong, unpleasant smell. Nonetheless they are my favourites.


I keep hearing about this "stink" on the new holders. Back when Freestyle had a special going on them, I picked up a dozen. Not one package had any unusual smell. Did I just get lucky or do I have particularly poor sense of smell?Your olfactory system is likely deficient. I tried some of those when Freestyle ran its sale and had to return them because they too reeked.

Ever since Toyo moved production of its parts offshore, this problem has manifested in both 4x5 and 8x10 holders. I speculate there's no concern about what chemicals are used in the plastics by Toyo's Chinese supplier(s). For the 4x5s, a definitive identifier of the change -- besides smell -- is surface finish on their dark slides. Older, stink-free versions had glossy slides. The newer, obnoxious ones exhibit a surface texture.

I bought 10 4x5s many years ago and thought this issue would limit me to that quantity forever. Then a while back Kerry offered some here that were NOS. I asked him to check the slides. Bingo - glossy! Now I have some extras to use when traveling and not wanting to reload in a bag/tent. :)

[Drew Wiley]

If there's an odor, it's probably indicates an excess of plasticizers or phalates (typical of Chinese plastics). These might outgas on a warm day and smudge your film, just like how the inside of yourwindshield get smudged by the plasticizers of
a vinyl dashboard. I wouldn't take anything for granted, like the notion manufacturers or distributors actually test these!

[StoneNYC]

Does anyone know if there are any plastic parts on the new TOYO bodies that also smell? That would be terrible!

[Drew Wiley]

The move from hard,slick ABS or styrene darkslides to vinyl was made some time back because the latter are less likely to
crack. A camera body could not realistically be made from this kind of softer material, but I would wipe it down because mould release agents or residual sulfur could hypothetically be present on ABS. Not likely on a finished product like a camera, but still, it's easy enough to clean a new piece of gear, just in case. Yet I do find it absolutely amazing how many
outsourced things are never check for actual functionality before being mass-produced.

[Alan Gales]

I have a few of the new style that came with a camera that I bought. They look close to new but they don't stink.

I recently purchased a set of Klein screwdrivers with plastic handles. They stunk something awful when I opened their packaging so I took them outside and let them set for a few hours and now they no longer stink.